more commodious than the Competition amphibian, having seats
for a pilot and six passengers. With that load fuel for 230
miles was normally carried, though the range could be extended
by reducing the number of passengers. The maximum speed
was 93 m.p.h., cruising speed 84 m.p.h. and landing speed
50 m.p.h.
Scarab.—A military development of the Sea Eagle, the Scarab
was an amphibian bomber/reconnaissance type built for the
Spanish Government. It was claimed for this craft, and for the
Sea Eagle, that it was practically impossible to ship water over
the cockpits. A water rudder allowed the machine to be turned on
a radius of one span. There were carriers beneath die wings for
a bomb load of up to 1,000 lb.
Sheldrake.—This was a little-known Supermarine type of 1927
(indeed, it seems already to have been forgotten by the makers
themselves), and, as the Flight photographs suggests, was an
experimental development of the Seagull, with revised hull lines.
The engine was a Lion V.
Seamew.—Resembling a "baby Southampton", this amphibian
was powered with two Armstrong Siddeley Lynx geared engines
and was intended for reconnaissance. It carried a crew of three
and had Scarff mountings for two Lewis guns. The hull was of
wood and the span the same as that of the Walrus, i.e., 46ft.
Walrus.—Originally known as the Seagull V, this very famous
pusher amphibian was powered with a Bristol Pegasus engine
A private venture, it was designed for use on. capital ships and
was accordingly fitted with catapult gear. In Australian service
the name Seagull V was retained and, though Walrus was the
official R.A.F. name, "Shagbat" was an equally common appella
tion. The wings of the Mk I were of composite construction, with
metal spars, wooden ribs and fabric covering, and the hull was
of metal. The Mk II, built by Saunders-Roe, had a wooden hull.
Sea Otter.—Designed as a successor to the Walrus, the Sea
Otter was powered with a Bristol Mercury 30 engine, driving a
tractor airscrew. Construction was mixed, the hull being of
metal and the fabric-covered wings having metal spars and
wooden ribs; the tailplane was plywood-covered. The two main
fuel tanks were in the inboard sections of the upper wings, and
additional fuel could be carried in the hull. The crew numbered
three or four, and the armament was three Vickers "K" guns.
Seagull S.14/44.—The Seagull monoplane of 1948 was vastly
different from the original craft of that name. Intended as a
replacement for the Walrus and Sea Otter, it was a parasol mono
plane with high-lift, variable-incidence wing, developed from
that of the S.24/37 Dumbo torpedo/bomber. The speed range
of 4.81:1 was achieved with the aid of electrically operated
leading-edge slats and slotted trailing-edge flaps, the outer por
tions of which were double-slotted. Although the Seagull weighed
200 lb more than the Southampton, it measured only 50ft 6in
in span, whereas the "Soton" spanned 75ft and was, into the
bargain, a biplane.
Seagull (S.14/44).
Big Boats
Swan.—The Swan was the first twin-engined flying-boat built
by Supermarines, a previous project for a small three-seater twin
around 1919 having been shelved. It had high, flared bows, as
had the Sea Eagle, and the pilot sat in a raised "deckhouse"
above the lower centre-section. Both Rolls-Royce Eagle and
Napier Lion engines were fitted. The civil version carried ten
passengers, with baggage, for 300 miles. It weighed 13,700 lb and
had a cruising speed of 92 m.ph.
Southampton t II and III. — The first three marks of
Southampton may be defined as: I, wooden hull, Lion engines;
II, metal hull, Lion engines; III, metal hull, geared Jupiter
engines. The crew numbered five—two pilots, a navigator /bomb-
aimer and two gunners. The duralumin hull of the Mark II
was anodically treated against corrosion and the basic structure
was 540 lb lighter than that of the Mk I. Elimination of water
seepage permitted a further 400 lb of fuel to be carried and
increased the range from 680 miles to nearly 900 miles. During
1932 two Southampton airframes were converted to take steam-
cooled Rolls-Royce Kestrels; these were not, however, known
as Mk IVs, mat designation being reserved for the redesigned
machine later known as the Scapa.
Nanok (Solent).—The hull and tail of this machine were
similar to those of the Southampton, but the wing cellule was
considerably different and carried three Armstrong Siddeley
Jaguars mid-way between the wings. Built as a torpedo carrier
tor the Danish Navy, it was not taken up by that Service when it
was realized that, having regard to the size of the aircraft,
manoeuvrability was insufficient for such a hazardous role. The
Nanok was accordingly converted for service as a private air
yacht and renamed the Solent.
Air Yacht—The Solent rendered such satisfactory service
when used as an air yacht by the Hon. A. E. Guinness that the
same gentleman ordered this special monoplane boat, again with
three Jaguar engines. Apart from the monoplane wing the most
striking feature of the machine was the use of sponsons instead
of lateral stabilizing floats. The Air Yacht was metal-constructed
and had fabric-covered wings. For various reasons the machine
was overweight and it was finally sold to a new owner and sent
to the south of France, where it was wrecked in a storm.
Scapa.—Originally designed Southampton IV, the Scapa had
two Rolls-Royce Kestrel medium-supercharged engines mounted
snug beneath the upper mainplanes. Compared with the hull of
the Southampton, that of the Scapa was relatively straight-sided
and of considerably greater capacity. The cockpit was enclosed
(one Southampton II had been experimentally fitted with an
enclosure) and there were three gun positions. The loaded weight
was 16,050 lb and the maximum speed 142 m.p.h.
Southampton X.—Originally powered with three Panthers, this
type subsequently had three Jupiters. It bore little or no resem
blance to any preceding Southampton, being in the first place a
sesquiplane, and having a fiat-sided hull with stainless steel
plating below the waterline. This was another of the Super-
marine boats which proved somewhat heavy and the Southampton
X never saw service.
Stranraer.—This was the last of the large Supermarine biplane
Above, Southampton II. Below, Air Yacht.